Eve of the 21st of Ramadan
Eve of the 21st of Ramadan marks the martyrdom of Imam 'Ali (a) and is one of the significant occasions in the Shia calendar.
According to historical reports, Imam 'Ali (a) was struck by Ibn Muljam al-Muradi on the eve of the 19th of Ramadan, which led to his martyrdom on the eve of the 21st.[1] In commemoration of this event, Shias hold mourning ceremonies on this night.[2]
According to hadiths recorded in Shiite sources, the eve of the 21st of Ramadan, along with the nights of the 19th and 23rd, might be Laylat al-Qadr.[3] Therefore, Shias spend this night in vigil, performing the recommended acts of Laylat al-Qadr in their homes, mosques, Husayniyyas, and other religious sites.[4] According to Shaykh 'Abbas al-Qummi in Mafatih al-jinan, the eve of the 21st of Ramadan holds greater merit than the 19th. Some of the recommended acts for this night include:
- Night vigil (ihya')
- Performing the ritual bath (ghusl) of Laylat al-Qadr
- Offering the special prayers of Laylat al-Qadr
- Prayer of the Night of Qadr (100 Rak'as)
- Holding the Qur'an on the Head
- Seeking intercession through the Fourteen Infallibles[5]
Some Shias distribute votive offerings (nudhur), iftar meals, and pre-dawn (sahari) meals on the eve of the 21st.[6]
Notes
References
- Majlisī, Muḥammad Bāqir al-. Mirʾāt al-ʿuqūl fī sharḥ akhbār Āl al-Rasūl. Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmīyya, 1404 AH.
- Majīdī Khāmina, Farīda. Shabhā-yi qadr dar Irān. Journal of Gulistān-i Qurʾān. No 37. (1379 Sh).
- Mufīd, Muḥammad b. Muḥammad al-. Al-Irshād fī maʿrifat ḥujaj Allāh ʿala l-ʿibād. Edited by Muʾassisat Āl al-Bayt (a). Qom: Kungira-yi Shaykh Mufīd, 1413 AH.
- Qummī, Shaykh ʿAbbās. Mafātīḥ al-jinān. Qom: Uswa, [n.d].